


running towards something, not away

by avapacifica



Series: October Writing Challenge 2019 [21]
Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Canon Gay Character, Coming Out, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Gay, Goodbyes, M/M, Running Away, Sleepy Cuddles, Stargazing, i love that i can say that now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-28 03:20:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21129902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avapacifica/pseuds/avapacifica
Summary: Anywhere is better than Derry for two gay boys in the 80s





	running towards something, not away

**Author's Note:**

> Day 21: Missing  
It's rare that I get soft from my own work, but this did it. So I hope everyone else enjoys, because I actually like this.

Eddie is almost ready for bed. He had taken his shower, brushed his teeth, swallowed all his pills. All that’s left now is to climb under his covers and fall asleep. He’s been looking forward to this all day, school has been so exhausting lately. But it’s a Friday, which means homework is a Sunday problem. Just knowing he’ll wake up energized tomorrow is enough to send him off into peaceful dreams.

He had been in bed already, reading a book. He kept having to read back paragraphs, as he wasn’t really taking any of the information in. Hell, it was only nine and he was already falling asleep while trying to focus on something. Eddie just takes it as a sign that he should go to sleep. 

The only issue is that his overhead light is off, he had been able to see only from his lamp, which he keeps across the room. He groans as he sits up, which he thinks is a dad noise, but also tells himself he wouldn’t know. Still, he knows for a fact he’s overworking himself if he can’t even get up quietly. He remembers the days when he could sneak out to see Richie without making any noise at all. It didn’t matter really, his mom is a heavy sleeper. But it had been fun to pretend like he could get caught.

He gets to the light, and speak of the devil, his boyfriend is sitting on his roof. Or at least he assumes, the lamp is making him a silhouette. Eddie knows it wouldn’t be anyone else though, Richie has made it a habit of coming up here at least once a week for a while. Not knocking is new though, and he wonders to himself if Richie has made silent visits before. He doubts it, maybe it’s just because of how sleepy he is, but tonight seems different.

Maybe Richie doesn’t want to be bothered right now, but Eddie honestly couldn’t care less. If he wanted to be left alone he could’ve hung out on top of someone else’s house. He finds himself lifting the window (that is either too heavy or Eddie really needs to work out) and Richie tenses up. It almost goes unnoticed, but Eddie can’t really miss anything the boy does anymore, not since he’s found out everything about him. Though his back is turned to him, what he previously thought was his breath from the cold is actually smoke.

“I thought you quit.” Eddie props himself in the window on his elbows. He thinks to himself that he must look like Rapunzel, but that might not be so bad. Richie shrugs in front of him, which tells him all he needs to know. He’s said he’d stop many times, it just appears he’s given up again. That’s alright though, Eddie knows he has as much on his plate as he does, if not more.

Within a blink of an eye, Richie has turned towards him. He’s not crying, Eddie doesn’t know why he was expecting him to be. It would be out of character for him, and he supposes if he thought it through he would know that’s not what’s going on, but honestly? He’s just searching for any sign of what’s going through the other’s mind. If it’s not sadness, Eddie really has no idea what it could be. 

“I told my parents about us.” Eddie has a million questions in his mind within seconds, but for now, he lets him keep talking. “I know it wasn’t my place, and if they tell anyone I’ll say you had nothing to do with it, that I’m a just a queer with a stupid crush.” He’s extra quiet, as if someone will hear what they’re saying. It’s such a sharp contrast to his normal loud-mouthed behavior, just going to show how important he takes this. “They aren’t talking to me now, it’s really getting to me. I thought I’d come to hang with you. Now I feel stupid though, I’m probably just stressing you out. I’m gonna go back and tell them I made it up.” He turns as if to leave, but Eddie can’t have him doing that. He grabs his hand, gesturing for him to sit down.

“Stay there, I’m coming out.” He quickly dashes to grab his blanket, all the while keeping his eyes on the window, not even drawing them away when picking it up. He’s afraid that if he looks down for even a moment, Richie will completely disappear. Lucky for him, he’s still waiting, and still impossibly hard to read, when he comes back. Eddie takes a small jump, boosting him out of the window.

Once he makes his way out, he wraps the blanket around the both of them, as they lay back onto the tiles. The stars shine above them, and Eddie feels completely immersed. Richie feels like he’s created distance between them, he just outed the kid for Christ’s sake. Eddie really isn’t even thinking about it though, all he wants is the warmth he receives pressed up against the other’s body. He doesn’t feel like that fairy tale princess anymore. She never got to be under the sky with the one person she loves, he does. Eddie has his head against Richie’s chest, and the only signal he gets that he’s going to talk is his increasing heartbeat.

“Do you want to get out of here?” It’s a simple question, one Richie has asked on numerous occasions. But Eddie really doesn’t want to leave, he’s comfortable right now. He shakes his head, hoping that Richie can tell which way his head is moving. 

“It doesn’t have to be now,” he admits, “It can be tomorrow. Or the day after, sometime soon. I guess I should’ve phrased better. What I mean is, do you want to leave with me?” Eddie isn’t sure why, but the ‘with me’ takes some air out of his lungs. “Really leave though, go and never come back.” 

“I’d follow you anywhere Rich.” He tells him, in case he hasn’t heard it enough already. But as much as he says it, the sentiment is real. He would go to the ends of the Earth if Richie was there beside him. Richie lays his arm around Eddie’s back, and any space that was previously between them dissolves instantly.

“I know I haven’t thought about this as much as I should’ve, but it just feels right, y’know? We could escape this backwards town, go somewhere that really accepts us.” He tilts his head to look down at him, Eddie swears he sees stars in his eyes. “Maybe I’m just being a stupid teenager, and this is all hormones. But I love you Eds, and we deserve so much better than what we have here.”

His eyes are burning, but Eddie doesn’t even let the tears reach them. This is a serious moment, he’d love to keep it that way. Unfortunately, the stress starts coming out of his mouth, and his breathing gets heavy. The arms across Richie’s chest grips at his shirt.

“I don’t want you to have to take back what you said to your parents.” He’s not sobbing exactly, but the words hurt to escape his throat. “I don’t want to hide.”

“Then we can leave tomorrow. We’ll stop at school and say our goodbyes. Then we can just go.” He runs a hand down Eddie’s spine, and his breathing starts to calm, ever so slightly. “The police will search for a few weeks until another kid wises up and runs away like us. They’ll focus on them and we’ll be  _ free.”  _ Richie notices Eddie’s starting to shiver. He had been dressed in pajamas when he’d arrived, and the blanket wasn’t covering it anymore. 

“Come on, let’s get you inside.” 

“Okay.” It’s a murmur against his chest, Richie can tell how much he needs sleep. Especially if they’re going to leave tomorrow, he needs as much rest as he can get. They climb across the panels of the roof, Eddie sliding through the window first, Richie following after. Eddie falls on top of the sheets, not even bothering to get under them. Richie drapes the blanket over him, careful not to cause any disturbance. He would sit with him, but he feels he’s already overstayed his visit as it is. As much as Sonia is known for her heavy sleep, she’s also equally as known to get up in the middle of the night to check on her darling son.

Richie doesn’t forget to give Eddie a kiss on his forehead before he leaves, and though his eyes are closed, Eddie gives a dreamy smile in response. Richie makes his way over to the window, hopping in. One leg lays in, one out. He’s not ready to leave just yet.

“I can’t wait for you to see how well our life will be Eds.” He’s not quite sure if the other is awake, but he continues anyway. “We’ll be able to hold hands without Criss or Huggins threatening to beat us up, hell we might even be able to kiss outside. It’ll be so much better out there.” He knew he might be placing too much faith in this unknown place they’re going to travel to, he doesn’t even know where they’re going yet. But he knows one thing for sure, it’ll be better than here. “I love you Eddie.” He knows he said it earlier, but he just wants to reiterate how much.

“I love you too Rich.” Eddie whispers from across the room. It’s enough to put a smile on Richie’s face. He flicks off the lamp, and closes the window with as much silence as he’s able.

-

_ Mommy, _

_ By the time you read this, I’ll probably be gone. Me and Richie are leaving, and I don’t even know where we’re headed, but I don’t think we’re coming back. Not anytime soon for sure. Before you hear it from anyone else, which I’m sure you will; I love him. I know you think this is just my sickness, but if it is, I don’t want to be better. This is the one thing you aren’t going to try to cure me of, and I’m happy with that. This is probably pointless as I know you will, but please don’t come looking for me. I’m not coming back. Please don’t think this means I love you any less, I do. More than anything. But I need to get away from this town, it’s evil, and I know I can’t really breathe here. It’s never been asthma, it’s just Derry. I love you so much, just remember. Goodbye. _

_ -Eddie _

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Kudos and comments are much appreciated!


End file.
